Long workdays can feel like a relay race with no baton pass. Meetings stack up, decisions arrive...
Oscar Forrester
Very Big Brain is written by Oscar Forrester, a researcher and writer with a long-standing fascination with how the brain works. Oscar spent several years working in hospital IT, including on infection control systems, and grew up in a household shaped by medicine — his father was a physician and his mother a registered nurse. He is not a clinician himself, and nothing on this site should be taken as medical advice. What he brings instead is a rigorous, source-first approach to research, honed over two decades of writing (he’s authored numerous published books, primarily on software development), and a genuine curiosity about the science of cognition. Mr. Forrester strives to present complex topics in a clear and engaging manner, making it easy for you to understand and apply the knowledge to your daily life.
Short answer: It can – mostly in harmful ways. Eating clay or soil can introduce heavy metals...
Running a business can feel like playing speed chess while your phone buzzes, your inbox fills, and...
Short answer: There is no strong clinical evidence that low, sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics reliably improve neuroplasticity...
Yes. Speaking riddles out loud forces your brain to hold clues, test different meanings, and drop wrong...
Short answer: For some tasks, yes – brief single-leg stance can raise focus and test cognitive control...
Great problem solvers rarely rely on willpower alone. They bring clear attention, steady memory, and flexible thinking...
Short answer: Yes – if you do more than passively stare. Brief, structured viewing and recall of...
Stress is an unavoidable part of modern life. From tight deadlines and endless notifications to emotional challenges...
There is a big difference between a quick burst of alertness and true mental stamina. A double...